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A new report released by the Alzheimer’s Society has revealed that many older adults with dementia are increasingly feeling isolated from the rest of society. 35 percent of seniors with dementia said that they leave their home once a week or less while 10 percent left their residence only once a month or less.

But a rather stunning study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests the quality of communication between the hospital and the nursing home is horrendous. The study was led by researchers from the University of Wisconsin, including nurse researcher, Dr. Barbara King and Geriatrician Dr. Amy Kind.

September 2013 marks the second annual World Alzheimer’s Month and in honour of the occasion, this week’s web pick is the COPSA Education Channel featuring 3 videos on Alzheimer’s and Dementia care in long-term care homes. The COPSA Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders is a university-based program that provides a daily care program for older adults with dementia and other related disorders. The Centre has produced the following 3 video that are available to view online:

Polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy are common among nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment. Determinants of polypharmacy status includes not only comorbidities, but also specific symptoms, age, and functional status. A geriatrician in the facility is associated with lower prevalence of excessive polypharmacy.

An audit of wounds in Bradford and Airedale showed that wound management is an issue in all health-care settings, particularly in nursing homes, where access to specialist wound-care services is often difficult owing to funding issues, and the underlying care needs and mobility problems of the patient population.

Fecal incontinence is a prevalent condition in the nursing home population and is associated with ADL decline, frailty, diarrhea and quality of care. This knowledge is important for staff in nursing home in order to provide the best treatment and care for residents with fecal incontinence.

Older ICU survivors from a single center who required post-acute facility care had a high burden palliative care needs and a high six-month mortality. The in-hospital post-critical acute care period should be targeted for palliative care assessment and intervention.